A Long Road
by Terezi-The-Mad
Summary: Jake finds a young child abandoned on the side of the road. Taking her in, she's incredibly sweet and kind, but when jake breaks a promise and leaves for a few years, he will return to learn that both him and the child he used to know are entirely different people. (Pretty much it's Jericho with a few changes here and there and my OC)
1. Chapter 1

So i decided to write a fanfiction off of Jericho! Many events will be the same, all of the characters will be in it, and my OC. Reviews inspire me to continue guys!

For awhile, this is taking place before Jake left Jericho, and theres going to be a change in plot! sorry if I'm out of character a lot D: this is my first time writing them!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Jericho or the characters. I do own my OC.

A long road.

One the seemed to go on forever.

On either side is sand, with no view of a town anywhere.

A place where days are hot, and nights are cold.

This is where is all began.

This is where people's lives changed.

This is where a child was left, never meant to survive.

She walked the road, only a the age of five. Left by her parents, never wanting her in the first place. Promised joy, but left alone with pain.

She walked, for days. Cars passed, non stopping. None, not one. She walked.

Of course, these were the younger days for Jake Green. Someone who hadn't quite figured oh his life yet, and was on the wrong path. It would change later, but his choices in his present would cause things to be completely different.

Driving down the long road back to his Kansas home, he couldn't help but notice the child walking along. Was she lost? He hadn't seen her before...

Pulling over, he walked to the child. She seemed shaken, but not entirely afraid.

"...hey...what are you doing out here?" He asked gently, taking her hand to lead her to his truck. She looked at him skeptically, allowing him to lead her. "...my parents. They left me here. I don't think they're coming back..."

This is where it began.

"Well... I'll just... Take you back to my home then... Maybe my family can help you out...?" Jake suggested, half to himself, half to her as he got in the truck himself. They drove, down the lonely road where she had been abandoned. Turning her head to him, she watched him carefully, as if taking note of someone special. "...what's your name mister?" She asked quietly, suddenly a little more shy. A sma smile cracking on his face, he continued watching the road. "My names Jake. Jake Green. What's yours?"

She looked out the window, noticing a town ahead.

"I don't have one sir, not anymore. Maybe you'll think of one for me later?"

As they entered town, she shied down in her seat, noticing faces looking at her. She blinked in fear, trying not to be seen.

"Hey, no need to be afraid." Jake laughed. "This is Jericho, and if you're right about your parents, this is going to be your new home."

"And all the people that you see out there? They're your family. They'll love you, you'll love them, they'll protect you. And one day when you're old enough you'll protect them, too! But enough of that. I suppose it's time we met with my family."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey readers! I'm so glad you liked the first chapter~ I have many more chapters planned, keep in mind that reviews motivate me, so the more reviews I get, the faster I'll post a new chapter~ love you all, thanks for the review :D

Walking inside a house, Jake led the child beside him. "Mom, Dad?" He called, looking around.

The first person to emerge was a woman, one wih a kind face, one that looked a the child in shock.

"...Jake? Who is this?" She asked kindly, crouching down.

"...I found her. Her parents left her, so I just... Took her in." He replied to her. "Oh my! Well it looks like we'll have to add a new member to our family then? I'm Abigail, but you can just call me mom, and-"

"Only if she wants to call you mom... She might not be ready yet..." Jake cut in. She paused and looked up at him, then nodded. "Of course. You don't have to do any of this if you don't want!"

"What's all the noise about out here?"

A man, who was tall with a white beard, walked out from a room nearby. "Johnston, we have a new member to our family! Her parents left her..."

Surprising how one situation can make you easily welcomed to a family.

And how mistakes can make you unwelcome.

"Well, I suppose that's all I need to hear! You'll do fine in the Green family. What's your name?"

"Well sir, I don't ha-"

"Hey, I thought I heard someone! It's Jake! And... A kid?"

Even yet another person came out.

"This is Eric, my brother..." Jake introduced her to his brother. "And Eric, this... Is our new sister..." He said, shooting him a look. "Oh, of course! Haha... She is." Eric patted her head lightly, earning a small smile in return.

Family will always appear to love you always,

But sometimes expectation and distrust can break a family apart.

"Jake, you should take her into town! Let her meet Dale, while we get things set up here for her! Dale would be a good friend to her, since they're both little!" Abigail suggested with a smile. Jake nodded. "I should probably take her to meet Stanley too... She's gonna be seeing a lot of him in her life."

And sometimes family will always accept you, no matter what choices you make.


	3. Chapter 3

Town was small and happy.

Everyone had taken an interest in the new sweet child.  
She was about five, had no name, and had the biggest heart of them all.  
Dale was a young boy, two years older than her. He was sort of a loner, didnt allow people in, an awkward boy with shaggy hair. She had taken a liking to him immediately, and somehow he allowed her into his life as well. Jake decided that the town was enough for one day, he would wait a bit before he threw Stanley onto her.

"See that man there?" Jake whispered, pointing to a man with a bare head, complaining to Jakes father about something. "Don't listen to him. He just wants my father spot as mayor. His name is Grey."  
She nodded, laughing lightly.

"So how come you don't have a name like everybody else, huh?" Dale asked one day while they sat outside. She shrugged, turning to him. "I dunno, I just never had one I guess." He grinned at her, noticing she was trying to catch the towns stray cat. "Well you're always trying to catch that cat. Maybe I'll just call you Kitty!" He laughed.

And the name caught on.

When Jake finally decided it was time to introduce her to Stanley, it was far too late. Stanley, tall and blond haired, had already made his way to town and spoke to her.

She was helping out the at the market, helping the owner Gale shelve some items, when he came approached her. "Well, for someone so small you sure are a huge help!" He said loudly, eyebrows raised. She turned to him shyly and laughed, nodding. "Yeah? Well I help out everyday, so I guess I'm an even bigger helper!" She shot back.

Stanley was the man who owned the largest farm in Jericho, one who had a little sister named Bonnie and a big heart, one can only imagine how quickly he loved the newest member of town.

Things were so easy then, but things change. They always do. Childhood is always bliss.

After two years of living in Jericho, The child named Kitty became very popular among everyone, being an adorable and lovable child. Out of everyone she knew, she loved Jake the most, he had been the one who gave her such a happy life. They loved each other like they really were brother and sister, and times in Jericho were easy and carefree.

"Hey Jake?"  
"Yeah, what is it?"  
"Can you promise me something?"  
"If course I can, Kitty."  
"...you'll never leave me like my parents did, right? You promise?"  
"...I promise."

But sometimes promises are broken  
And sometimes when promises are broken,  
So are many other things.


	4. Chapter 4

Childhood is the easy part.

But it all depends on how long you have had your childhood.  
For Kitty, it didn't last.

Ten years old, the girl was happy as ever, enjoying her time laying under a tree at Stanley's farm.  
Jake came walking, a solemn look in his eyes as he crouched next to her.  
"Hey they Kitty... I've gotta talk to you."

Sitting down, she leaned against his arm excitedly, never noticing his emotions. "Yeah, what is it Jakey?"  
Sighing, he decided to let it all out then.  
"I'm... I've gotta go somewhere. Just me... I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but... I promise I'll be home soon. I promise I'm not leaving you, remember?"  
She looked up at him, biting her lip. She wanted to shout, cry out, but she trusted him, more than anything. "...alright... I'll see you soon then!" She said as cheerfully as she could. He stood up, kissing her forehead and smiling. "Soon!" He shouted back as he walked off. She waved and kept her eyes on him for as long as she could.

She never expected him to leave for as long as he did.  
And when he would return, they would both be entirely new people.

She started stealing things not too long after he left. For fun, stealing little things like food, getting herself in trouble.

When she wouldn't listen to Jakes parents, they threatened to kick her out. Of course she continued to steal, it was a way to get her mind off of things.  
Even Eric tried to stop her, but she refused to listen to him as well.  
She ended up on Stanley's doorstep when she was kicked out of the Greens house, teary eyed and alone. He took her in right away, despite anything she had done.

Sometimes your real family comes out when you need it most.

She felt terrible to stay inside the house, and despite everything Stanley did, she ended up going outside, sleeping in a higher branch of the tree.  
She slept there; quite comfortably actually.  
The town slowly started looking at her as a pest, she slowly lost their trust.  
Dale stayed her friend, though he kept their friendship a secret since he would be frowned apon.

And the small stealing, it was only a start of what she would become. She would be an entirely new person, thanks to one man who would be a bigger part in her life than she would have ever imagined.

A man named Jonah Prowse.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey readers! I had been inspired to write recently, so I got a few chapters in! Sorry they're so short, but after this chapter they will probably be getting longer~

thank you Shadow for being like my only reader/reviewer~ I appreciate it!

Kitty became someone that wasn't wanted in the town. She came anyways, but she didn't speak to anyone. She was old enough to have known better, but tended to push people away, not speaking, just a child lost in her emotions.

She liked to act tough, pretend that none of them mattered, that she could take them on any day, but she was wrong, and it wasn't very long that she would find that out.  
She started to get bullied when she came into town. A group of older boys, they would push her around, make her feel as if she didn't matter, with Dale coming to help her from time to time.

Eric came one day, making the boys run away, and he looked down at the girl. "Look, I know you've changed... But you gotta stay out of trouble, I'll worry about you." He said gently. She glared up at him, thinking about all the times he had turned away from her. "Yeah? Well how about you stop worrying, okay? I'm fine." She snapped at him, turning away and running off before another word could be said.

Relationships with family can break easy.  
But sometimes they'll always be there, even when you don't see it.

One night, she came into town while everyone slept, enjoying how peaceful her home was at night. Hearing some shouting in the distance, she turned to see the same group of boys, coming at her at a fast pace. "Oh you're gonna get it now little girl, after your stupid brother punished us!" One yelled. Panicked, she jumped up and started running. A pick up truck was just leaving, and she aimed for that at full speed. Hopping on the back, it drove away without the driver even noticing, and she hid under some blankets that were crumpled back there.

It was a long drive, she had no idea where she was going, and she was half regretting going in the truck in the first place. Soon it pulled into a fenced area, the hates closing behind the truck as it parked somewhere in the back. She heard a door open and a man yell for someone's help, both going to the back. She stiffened, realizing there were some items in the back. The man came to the back, a middle aged man who seemed as though he might be a mean person, but had a softness in his expression as well. He told the person next to him to take one of the items, which he did. As he walked away, the man picked up another item, also tugging the blankets and revealing the 10 year old girl hiding. He froze, and she instantly burst into tears, covering her face. "I'm sorry! I didn't m-mean to be back here! Please don't hurt me..." She whispered, hardly looking at him now.

Sometimes,  
The most unexpected people will love you the most.


	6. Chapter 6

The man dropped the item he was holding, staring wide eyes at the child in front of him. "...what...how did you..." He shook his head, taking a step back. "I know... I was in trouble, and I seem this truck, so I just kinda jumped in..." She murmured, trying to pull herself together. He stood for a moment longer before his face softened lightly and he held out a hand to her. "...well I can't go back to Jericho tonight. I guess I'll just have to figure something out for you tonight." Blinking, she looked at his hand for a moment before hesitantly taking it, allowing him to help her out of the back. He let go when she was down, and he sighed, running his hands through his hair. "...alright... Just... Follow me." He said, turning to a group of guys some ways away. "You take care of the rest! Something's come up!" He shouted over to them, then started walking towards the building. She followed behind, keeping a slight distance.

When they went inside, the man sat down at a table where papers and tools lay. He turned his chair to face the girl and blinked. "What's your name?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked at her feet, this man seemed intimidating. "I never had one, but the town called me Kitty because... I guess I liked cats,,, so..." He chucked at her response. "Kitty? No, that's not a good name for you. But I'm sure you'll change it sometime in the future." He said, turning back to the table. She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. "And what about you? You have t told me your name." She stated stubbornly. Turning his head slightly, he nodded at her. "My name is Jonah Prowse. I'm the guy that people fear when I come I to that town of yours." He said with a small smile, turning his head again. She blinked in shock. Jonah Prowse? She's only heard things about him around town here and there, but she never knew he was someone who was feared. She sat down on the floor, not knowing quite what do to.

After a few more silent minutes, Jonah stood up, walking to her again. "Just follow me."

He led her to a small room, one with a bed in the corner and a table with a chair. "You can just sleep there tonight, okay?" He said as she walked to the bed. Nodding, she looked at the ceiling. He walked to the door, looking back at her. "...and I'll take you home to Jericho tomorrow, okay kid? I'll just have to drop you and leave though, I can't go near that town." He stated, turning around. She sat up, looking at him curiously. "...why not?" She asked, making him stop. Turning, he smiled lightly. "Because I've done some things I'm not proud of, and I'm not welcome in that town anymore."  
"Yeah, well I don't think I am either."  
He blinked in surprise at that response, walking back to the door. "What do you mean by that?"  
"Well... I used to be someone nice, but I've made some bad choices myself. They don't really want me there either, and I'm only getting hurt while I'm there." She muttered, not sounding sympathetic at all, just as if she were staring facts. He paused in thought for a moment, his face showing no expression. Sighing, he shook his head. "Just go to sleep for now. I'll take you home tomorrow." He said before turning away and walking out, leaving her with her thoughts. She sighed, getting comfortable and closed her eyes, falling asleep in wonder.


	7. Chapter 7

(( I'm on a mobile when I post these chapters... And it's not doing the spacer I've been trying to put! So at the beginning of chapters if I'm speaking as the author I'll jut put it in double parenthesis ~ anyways, got a few reviews recently, and I'm glad about that! Thanks for keeping me going. In fact, I'm going to start moving my fictions from Wattpad onto here. Wattpad is kinda lame, nice people are hard to find there, and unless your story is One Direction most people won't read you stuff. Here, I post one chapter of a fanfiction, of a show that hardly knows about, and the same day I get a review! The same week I get two!

Sorry about that rant, anyways, here's a new chapter!

Guys keep in mind that the first few chapters were really fast paced, and some things may have been a little unrealistic. I apologize for that, but I promise things will be different and slower paced as Kitty gets older. Sorry for such a long delay, I do all my writing on a mobile device and had no wifi for a few days, but I'm back now~ ))

The next day, Kitty woke early, though Jonah had woken even earlier. Drinking coffee, he glanced at the child walking in. Taking a deep breath, he wasted no time standing up and walking toward the door. "...Ready to go?" Blinking, she nodded and followed behind.

The truck ride was fairly silent, and Jonah seemed to be deep in thought. She glanced at him every now and then, only to look away quickly in fear. He did the same, only in bouts of wonder, as if he were making a choice.

She was filled with relief as they approached Jericho, though she never showed any change in emotion. He stopped the truck just outside of town, looking over at her. It was an odd silence, making Kitty uncomfortable, but after a moment he finally broke the silence. "...You can't hide the bruises." He commented, raising an eyebrow. She blinked in shock. She never expected him to notice such things, like the things her bullies had done to her. He sighed, digging in his pocket. "...You're still so young... And yet defenseless. It made me think of what I would do if my own daughter were in the same position." Sighing, he pulled out a small knife, nothing too remarkable, but a weapon nonetheless. He coughed, holding it out. "I was younger when I got mine... And I can't stop looking at those bruises and think about what happens next... Just... Don't let them do it to you anymore, whoever it is, okay?" He said, looking at her expectantly. Her jaw dropped, but she slowly took the knife from him, looking from her hand to him. "...but-" "Go now, if I'm seen here during the day I'm sure all hell will break loose. Go on, go home." He interrupted, waiting for her to exit. She did, open the door and get out, running back into town with her new item, only looking back once to see him turn around and drive away.

Sometimes rash choices are made for what people believe is the best for someone they care about.

She went back into town, staying hidden in the shadows, putting the knife in her pocket. It fit almost perfectly, with only the handle sticking out, making it easy for her to pull out at any time she needed. She stopped to go next to a building, to look at the weapon properly. Small, slightly worn, but a knife. She had not a clue what to do with such a thing, how to defend herself with it, though she was confident that it would work well.

Walking home, or to her tree rather, she continued to admire the new defense. When she arrived, there was a small box under the tree, wrapped neatly with a bow on top. On top of the box was a small tag.

"To Kitty, on her birthday, whatever day that Stanley decides it to be. From Jake."

She smiled with excitement. It was the middle of the fall, her favorite season. Stanley must have decided it to be her birthday today, and now she would get her first birthday present ever. Opening it quickly, it was a hat, a grey one with cat ears on it. She smiled at the pun and put it on immediately, the edge of the hat making it to the bottom of her forehead. She lay under the tree, looking at the note over and over again, until she heard a door slam. Walking over was Stanley, a grin on his face. "Happy birthday Kitty cat! Looks like that hat suits you well!" He joked, raising his eyebrows at her. She laughed and nodded. "It's Jakes present to me, after you chose my birthday to be today!" She laughed, standing up to give him a teasing scold look. He placed his hands on his hips, looking surprised. "Did I pick the wrong day? I thought you liked the fall!" He laughed. She crossed her arms and turned her back to him. "Maybe I wanted my birthday to be yesterday!" She said in a disapproving tone. The next moment she was lifted off the ground and thrown over his shoulder, being carried into the house. "Your birthday is gonna be today, whether you want it to be or not! And you're gonna have cake too, whether you want to or not! Because as long as you live under my tree, you live under my rules!"

Once inside, Stanley cut a slice of cake for himself, Bonnie already eating hers. "So how come I didn't have any other birthdays other than today's? I'm probably around eleven or twelve years old, why now?" Kitty asked as she took a slice of cake for herself. Stanley looked slightly uncomfortable with the question, but smiled nonetheless. Taking a deep breath, he looked down. "...When Jake was still around, all of us argued when your birthday would be, but you were young, and we weren't sure we were going to decide. When he left, we agreed that we would decide when he returned, but he sent me a letter, along with that gift, to choose a day, because he didn't want to make you wait..." He explained. Kitty continue to eat her cake, not commenting. She understood. Jake didn't want her to wait, in case something happened, or maybe he just wasn't coming back. She never spoke these words, and Stanley didn't either, though she pretended not to be affected by the words. Instead, they enjoyed their little party, with Eric stopping by to wish her a happy birthday as well. She didn't say much to him, however, since they still had their disagreements.

Later that night, she went back out to town, watching the stars and admiring how peaceful the everything looked at night. Unfortunately for her, her bullies returned once again. "Oh, look who it is! You're not going to run away this time, no way!" One of them said as he approached her. She blinked at them fearfully but drew the knife, pointing it at them threateningly. "...Stay away! Don't come near me!" She warned in a fearful voice. They kept their distance, but only for a moment. One of them realized that she didn't know what she was doing, and snatched the weapon from her before she had a second thought. "...Well that was easy..." He murmured, pocketing it. They all laughed as she ran away as fast as she could, back in the same dark situation she had been in before.


End file.
